GO THE MIGHTY LIONS

Michael from Trentham

Wellington Lions last Sunday may very well have achieved the finest performance from a Wellington rugby side ever.

Ok Wellington are the NPC champs from 2022 and are the proud holders of the new-look Ranfurly Shield from outstanding performances in 2022, but the team that took the field against Canterbury was not anywhere near the team that had triumphed in 2022 or even a few days earlier in 2023.

Everyone knows Canterbury and the Crusaders and everyone knows how utterly hard either team is to beat on their own home turf.

But a Wellington squad that had defended the Shield twice in four days (including against the strong Tasman side) and now had to play a champion Crusaders-filled Canterbury only four days later were up against it. So much so that in recognition that defeat was almost certain with the Shield not at stake, the team selected were almost all from outside the top 15 starters and many from the fringes of the large playing squad. And it had an untested new captain.

So the young Lions side thoroughly deserved their win even if it took a brilliant try in the last couple of minutes to separate the teams. For instance, the co-commentator said as the teams lined up for the start, that the Canterbury pack was going to rein mayhem upon the Wellington pack presenting them with unrelenting problems at scrum and lineout times. It just didn't happen.

So after its flurry of 3 championship games in 8 days, Wellington Lions are the only unbeaten side in the 14-team comp with 5 from 5. And the coaches are left with the task of just who to select for the next game with at least 30 players putting up their hands.